Friday, September 1, 2017

When you see references to the
erosion of our freedom and quality of life, whether from me or others, you
might wonder what the concern is all about.After all, most of the referenced issues seem small and of little real
consequence in light of the big picture of life,and they arguably provide some benefits to
society in any event:for instance things
like higher, more restrictive, and safer guardrails on houses, water and energy
reductions for plumbing fixtures and appliances, solar orientation encouragement
for new construction.One concern is
that the proliferation of new code requirements are seemingly unending.The constant direction by those who think
they know what is best for the rest of us spreads like the slow flow of
molasses.It’s like the parable of the frog
placed in warm water that is very slowly heated with the end result that the
unsuspecting frog never realizes that he has eventually been cooked to death.

California is presently striving
to achieve net zero energy consumption for new houses.Less use of our limited earthy energy sources
(gas, electricity, wood) is apparently a good thing.Right?Absolutely, but think about the bottom line governing reason for transitioning
to more plentiful energy sources. It’s pragmatic, shortsighted and
self-serving:to be able to squeeze in more people.The nearby landscapes (and other species’
habitats) can be developed into more housing units and shopping centers and
this is where shortsightedness comes
into play.We may save some energy
usage, but each additional person brings huge impacts on other freedoms and
quality of life.Not only does and will
these new requirements severely limit a
plethora of choices from orientation of glass to selection and use of materials
to the way houses are heated and cooled and water is used in every fixture, but
it almost always implies that this is somehow good for one and all.
Really?Is the orientation of glass
always best if it works well with solar gain?What about privacy or views?Does
the State know what materials you should be surrounded by or how you should
heat or cool your house?Does the State
really know how high your guardrails and handrails should be?The growing number of regulations results in
corresponding reductionsof both
individual freedom and quality of life.

Rather than addressing the
problems with more people controlled by less freedom and less quality of life
why not strive for less people resulting in more freedom and more quality of
life?